Elmhurst School Moves Forward

Elmhurst School Moves Forward

The schools here in Elmhurst, whether public, private or parochial, are often cited as some of the best reasons to make this city your home. From national awards to regional recognition, our schools are always looking ahead to provide the best possible education for our students.

Earlier this month, in an effort to better identify itself for both prospective families as well as institutions of higher learning, Immaculate Conception High School announced that it is changing its name to IC Catholic Prep. For the past 75 years, the school has been preparing students for college while maintaining its mission as a Catholic school including a focus on individual service learning each year.

Principal and school president Pamela Levar describes the name change as a way to better identify the school to the community as both a Catholic institution and a college preparatory program. The new name comes with a new tag line as well – the school for independent thinkers. School board member Donald Hoffman said, "We felt we were too much of a secret as to our quality." He added, "It makes it clear we're a religious school and our main focus is to prepare people for college."

IC Catholic Prep draws students from more than 40 communities here in the western suburbs, and has a current enrollment of about 320 students. The school continues to grow however, and the number of incoming freshmen annually exceeds the number of graduating seniors. It draws students from a number of grade schools, including IC’s own grade school and Visitation School here in Elmhurst. Approximately 99% of the graduating class each year goes on to college. Nearly three quarters of all students participate in varsity sports, and 90% are in extracurricular activities. The school also enjoys a relationship with Elmhurst College under which seniors may enroll in college-level courses for credit and at no additional cost.

The wide variety of high-quality educational opportunities available for Elmhurst’s students points to the strong sense of community we enjoy here. Preparing our children for the future is one of our primary goals. Make Elmhurst your home – all of us here at The Gracik Makinney Group are ready to help you find just the property to meet your needs. Stop by our office at 190 North York Road here in Elmhurst, or give us a call at 630-441-5570.